A squad car with the Compton School Police. Credit: Code20Photog/KPCC
L.A. Unified’s school police issued nearly 34,000 tickets to students for minor offenses, from possession of tobacco to fighting, in the last three years. In 2011 they wrote up an average of 28 tickets a day — more than any other department in the country has reported. Most of those went to middle school-aged kids between 10 and 14 years old.
The volume of citations, and the fact that it’s black and Latino students getting a disproportionate number of tickets, mobilized local civil rights activists, who are now working with school police to reduce the number of citations issued.
Manuel Criollo, lead organizer with the Labor/Community Strategy Center, has been part of a series of meetings with the chief of school police and district administrators.
He said their goals are simple: “That there will be clear protocols that would delineate in which cases law enforcement would be involved and in which cases school administrators would be involved.”
Criollo said he’s witnessed a disturbing new trend among school administrators: rather than resolving a problem

Regular readers here have been following the story of Regis Academy Charter School, a charter foisted on a high-performing school district that neither wanted nor needed it. When we last left the tale, the charter (scheduled to open its doors this September) was so desperate for students, it was drawing them from an area over 50 miles across.

Then Darcie Cimarusti clued us in that Regis was evicted from its location for failure to secure funds to close on its mortgage. They tried to switch the location without letting the sending districts or the town know about the move.

Charter Update…The Superintendent received notification from the Department of Education that the Commissioner has deniedfinal approval for Regis Academy Charter School. In a joint statement issued on July 6, Dr. Reusche and BOE President Seth Klukoff said: “The district's objections to this charter application have been well documented and we are glad that the Commissioner has decided not to grant final approval.” They also expressed gratitude to the many community members who supported the district’s efforts

Remarks by the President at the Signing of the Transportation and Student Loan Interest Rate Bill | The White House: Remarks by the President at the Signing of the Transportation and Student Loan Interest Rate Bill East Room 5:25 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Thank you. Everybody, please have a seat. I apologize for keeping you waiting a little bit, and I hope everybody is staying hydrated -- (laughter) -- because it is hot. Welcome to the White House. We wouldn’t normally keep you this late on a Friday afternoon unless we ha...more »

Over 100,000 Teacher Jobs Lost in Last 12 Months | FDL News Desk: Over 100,000 Teacher Jobs Lost in Last 12 Months by David Dayen The most important chart when thinking about the economies under George W. Bush and Barack Obama can be seen above. It compares the first-term job numbers of the two Presidents. Both of them endured recessions at the start of their terms, though Obama’s was bigger. But the biggest difference comes in the public jobs numbers. The parabolic arc on private-sector jobs is broadly similar, although Obama’s are better. But the difference on public-sector jobs ...more »

The in box. Orange t-shirt bunting on the north shore. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Orange t-shirt bunting on the north shore. by Fred Klonsky From Matt Metzger’s Black Dahlia Reader: *Larry’s on assignment again. Lock your doors and windows, Los Angeles. I’m feeling somewhat buoyed by what might be the biggest news of the year; this took place yesterday in D.C. where the NEA RA has voted unanimously to support the Chicago Teachers Union in their desire for a fair, and enforceable contract with the insufferably vile, and obnoxious Rham Emanuel and his slavish corporate bribery goo...more »

Arne Duncan Gets an F in EdNext Reader Poll, Common Core Polled Next | Truth in American Education: Arne Duncan Gets an F in EdNext Reader Poll, Common Core Polled Next by Shane Vander Hart [image: arne-duncan1]EdNext readers overwhelmingly gave Arne Duncan an F for his job performance. - A – 3% - B – 3% - C – 6% - D – 16 % - *F – 72%* This is obviously not a scientific poll, but this site is read by people from all over the political spectrum. It seems like a variety of people are unhappy with him likely for different reasons. This week they’re asking the followin...more »

The Educators’ Story: “The Teacher Faces the Depression” (1933) « Cooperative Catalyst: The Educators’ Story: “The Teacher Faces the Depression” (1933) by pamelamoran In 2001, I taught an History of “American” Education grad course and chose to use primary source documents mostly found on the Internet in lieu of an official “text.” This version of a blended learning environment offered us an antiquated chance to explore many narratives of education from the colonies forward, rather than those selected and repackaged by just a single author. Learners immersed in the work of unpackin...more »

An Atlanta charter school closes. Short funds, students. | Get Schooled: An Atlanta charter school closes. Short funds, students. 4:22 pm July 6, 2012, by Maureen Downey Atlanta’s Tech High is closing. The charter school enrolled 200 students in grades 9 though 12, according to the state DOE One persistent problem with charter high schools nationwide is that teens want a larger social pool and wider opportunities than many start-up charters can provide. And the students want the fun stuff, the Friday night football games, the dances, the homecoming parades. It is tough to offer the ...more »

The in box. One NEA RA delegate who spoke against SOS explains. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. One NEA RA delegate who spoke against SOS explains. by Fred Klonsky * I am one of the Florida delegates who spoke against NBI 39. I think that there have been a number of misconceptions associated with the discussion. I apologize if I was too poor of a speaker to more clearly state the issue. * *The issue is that posting on Facebook is all too easy. A Facebook location for SOS that is a stand-alone isn’t the NEA. There is a heck of a lot of power in NEA (power to do good and power to harm)....more »

Charter School Parents Get Angry « Diane Ravitch's blog: Charter School Parents Get Angry by dianerav In New Orleans, the Algiers Charter School Association hired a management consultant from New York City to address their problems. Some of their schools have very high schools, and some have very low scores (critics say they are dumping grounds to help the other schools). The management consultant fired central staff, reassigned principals and embarked on his own plan to shake things up. This is what happened, as reported in “The Lens”: *The Charter School Reporting Corps* *ACSA put...more »

Democurmudgeon: Free to go to Voucher Muslim Schools too.....?: Free to go to Voucher Muslim Schools too.....? by Democurmudgeon Voucher schools may be the secret and subversive way to spread Islam according to one Louisiana Republican. Is it surprising that another pocket constitutionalist isn't real familiar with the First Amendment? *Jezebel: It's an honest mistake, assuming that the Constitution only protects your own personal megachurch faith. But one Louisiana Republican Valarie Hodges is learning the hard way that religious school vouchers can be used to fund education at a...more »

Modern School: More Testing for Teachers?: More Testing for Teachers? by Michael Dunn This week, Good Education asked, “Do We Need a 'Bar Exam' For Teachers?” Of course this is completely absurd. While exams are very good at determining whether one remembers a bunch of arcane regulations, rules and laws, teachers do not need to know this kind of stuff. On the other hand, teachers already have to pass relatively challenging comprehensive high stakes exams in most states to demonstrate their content knowledge. More importantly, the things that matter most in education (e.g., ability...more »

AFT Pres Weingarten Supports Charters, Merit Pay, Green Dot Schools and Attacks UTLA during 2010 Visit to SF: “I started a Green Dot school in New York”! | Dailycensored.com: AFT Pres Weingarten Supports Charters, Merit Pay, Green Dot Schools and Attacks UTLA during 2010 Visit to SF: “I started a Green Dot school in New York”! by Danny Weil In the following video ( http://blip.tv/laborvideo/aft-pres-weingarten-supports-good-charters-merit-pay-and-attacks-utla-during-visit-to-sf-3538770, you can see what American Federation of Teachers, (AFT) President, Randi Weingarten had to say ...more »

NYC Educator: You Have to Blame Someone: You Have to Blame Someone by NYC Educator Today, at GothamSchools, I had a conversation with my buddy Reality-Based Educator. We were discussing the abysmal reporting that referred to release from the draconian, unattainable, and ultimately absurd terms of NCLB as being "freed." Actually, that's not true. It is true, of course, that these states will not be responsible for passing 100% of their students. But, like everything, this comes with a price. In this case, the price includes a junk-science evaluation system, known as value-added, or...more »

SHOCKING – FAMOUS CONSERVATIVE HAS SYMPATHY FOR CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION « Teachers Fight Back: SHOCKING – FAMOUS CONSERVATIVE HAS SYMPATHY FOR CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION by alkleen What next ? Rush Limbaugh singing the praises of Obama ? George Will, a famous conservative columnist has actually expressed sympathy for the leader of the Chicago Teachers’ Union. In an editorial, Will also seems to be saying that he understands why it is so difficult to achieve success with the students in the Chicago schools. Here is some of what he wrote. “Abundant data demonstrates that the vast majority ...more »

The in box. SOS. No endorsements necessary. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. SOS. No endorsements necessary. by Fred Klonsky [image: SOS Save Our Schools] *Bro,* *I’m still not sure why anyone at the RA would think that SOS would need or want the NEA’s endorsement of our upcoming national conference in D.C. We don’t need any group’s endorsement to hold a conference any more that the NEA needs SOS’s endorsement in order to hold their RA.* *And of course good people like Diane Ravitch and Anthony Cody support SOS. But what does that matter? We’re not holding a popularity contest. Only s...more »

Friday Finance 101: School Finance Formula & Money Matters Basics « School Finance 101: Friday Finance 101: School Finance Formula & Money Matters Basics by schoolfinance101 Modern state school finance formulas – aid distribution formulas – typically strive (but fail) to achieve two simultaneous objectives: 1) accounting for differences in the costs of achieving equal educational opportunity across schools and districts, and 2) accounting for differences in the ability of local public school districts to cover those costs. Local district ability to raise revenues might be a functio...more »

The Weekly Update: Jindal & Co. in Lousiana, a Broadie in Arizona and Bill Gates everywhere | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: Jindal & Co. in Lousiana, a Broadie in Arizona and Bill Gates everywhere by seattleducation2011 Today we will begin with New Orleans and the state of Louisiana where Hurricane Katrina and its devastation became the rallying cry for the corporate takeover of the public school system which has now led to lawsuits against the state and one special one regarding Governor Jindal’s decision to move public school funding directly into private schools. Educat...more »

Tony at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky: Tony at the Red Line Tap. by Fred Klonsky Late yesterday, after I got home from DC, I dropped off my bag and headed over to the Red Line Tap. It was 103 degrees and I needed something tall with a head on it. Clearly, I’m not talking about the Mayor. The place was empty except for Marty behind the bar and Tony commanding his usual stool. Like a poor man’s Irv Kupcinet at booth number one in the old Pump Room. “Haven’t seen you around. Where you been, Klonsky?” “DC. At the union convention.” Marty brought me over a glass of whatever was on drou...more »

What is a Good Teacher Worth? - NYTimes.com: What is a Good Teacher Worth?By ANDREW C. REVKIN There’s been much discussion of the value, in dollars and sense, of a good teacher (no typo). In many places, a conversation on the value of teachers is underpinned by debates over what’s being taught. In Texas, for example, theRepublican Party approved a platform opposing the teaching of critical thinking skills, saying it’s behavior modification with “the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.” Such discussions have prompted a “Your Dot” con...more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State gets NCLB Waiver: Washington State gets NCLB Waiver by Melissa Westbrook From Ed Week and the NY Times comes word that Washington State, along with Wisconsin, have been granted waivers from some of the most "onerous conditions" of NCLB. That brings the total number of states with waivers up to 26. That's more than half the states and Andy Porter, the dean of U of Penn Graduate School of Education asks, "*The more waivers there are, the less there really is a law, right?"* From the Times: *In exchange for the education waivers...more »

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Sacramento Is The Capital Of California Education Headlines *Friday, July 6, 2012* Upland Unified School District eliminates busing for grades 7-12The school district's Board of Trustees has decided to eliminate home-to-school transportation for students in grades 7-12 to address needed cuts in the 2012-13 fiscal year. $452,000 to pay for Humboldt school projectsCaltrans awarded $48.5 million in state Safe Routes to School Program funds for 139 projects on Thursday, including four at Humboldt County Schools. Guzik: Migrant worker ...more »

Mother Crusader: EgREGIoS Behavior: EgREGIoS Behavior by darciecima NOW Amir Khan can't comment? "We understand persecution, and you just push forward through every obstacle," said Khan, *who declined to explain the church's decision to stop fighting the eviction.* "We're not going away. Our church is about to celebrate 20 years in ministry and we're going stronger than ever before." What impact the move could have on Khan's charter ambition is unclear. Khan said he still planned to open Regis, which would be a secular public institution, in time for the coming school year. *He d...more »

Eduwonk » Blog Archive » No Child Left Behind – The Problem Is Not The Policy, It’s Us: No Child Left Behind – The Problem Is Not The Policy, It’s Us by arotherham [image: No Child Left Behind] Everyone not chattering about the job numbers is chattering about this morning’s *New York Times* article on No Child Left Behind and the waivers that are increasingly freeing states from its requirements. In general some waivers were necessary – and some were issued during the Bush Administration, too – because the law was supposed to be reauthorized in 2007 and 2012 is now half over. Bu...more »

Was Philadelphia’s Superintendent Search a Dog and Pony Show? | Chalk and Talk: Was Philadelphia’s Superintendent Search a Dog and Pony Show? by Lisa Haver *The SRC still lacks transparency, and should be replaced with a locally elected school board. * When it comes to transparency, the School Reform Commission is still not making the grade. Commissioner Wendell Pritchett, in a recent School Reform Commission meeting, declared that principals are “the most important people” in the Philadelphia School District. PSD administrators have also argued that having a good teacher i...more »

Follow the Money in Philadelphia « Diane Ravitch's blog: Follow the Money in Philadelphia by dianerav One man and one foundation decides what’s good for Philadelphia. One sharp-eyed investigative reporter learned the details. That foundation–the William Penn Foundation–used to be concerned about equitable funding for the children and public schools of Philadelphia. No longer. The William Penn Foundation brought in the Boston Consulting Group to develop a plan to redesign the

Schools Matter: The Astonishing Increase in Testing: The Astonishing Increase in Testing by skrashen Sent to the New York Times, July 6, 2012 There is little reason to celebrate waivers from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) (“No Child’ Law Whittled Down by White House,” July 6). NCLB’s “obsessive focus on test results” will be much worse under new regulations: The new Common Core Standards calls for an astonishing increase in testing. NCLB requires standardized tests in math and reading at the end of the school year in grades 3-8 and once in high school. This will be expanded to testin...more »

Largest California College May Soon Be Shut Down: Largest California College May Soon Be Shut Down [image: Empty Classroom] July 5, 2012 California's largest college may lose its accreditation and be forced to close its doors if it does not address a number of major issues. As reported by SF Gate, City College of San Francisco, which serves 90,000 students across its nine campuses and hundreds of instructional sites, has until March 15 to address 14 major problems that have been identified by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. In a 66-page report, the co...more »

‘No Child Left Behind’ Whittled Down Under Obama - NYTimes.com: ‘No Child’ Law Whittled Down by White HouseBy MOTOKO RICHPublished: July 6, 2012 In just five months, the Obama administration has freed schools in more than half the nation from central provisions of the No Child Left Behind education law, raising the question of whether the decade-old federal program has been essentially nullified. On Friday, the Department of Education plans to announce that it has granted waivers releasing two more states, Washington and Wisconsin, from some of the most onerous conditions of the ...more »

More thoughts on Charter Punditry & Declarations of Certainty « School Finance 101: More thoughts on Charter Punditry & Declarations of Certainty by schoolfinance101 I’m a little late in pouncing on this one. JerseyJazzMan beat me to the punch with some relevant points. A short while back, the Wall Street Journal posted an op-ed by Deborah Kenny, CEO of New York based charter chain*Harlem Village Academies. *Kenny’s op-ed purported to explain why charter schools are successful. Of course, we could spend all day on that contention alone, since it is relatively well understood that...more »

Daily Kos: Workingman's Constitution: Workingman's Constitution by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is the title of this important *New York Times* op ed by William Forbath, who teaches history and law at the University of Texas. Forbath points out that in both the opinion for the Court by John Roberts on ACA and the dissent by the other four conservatives, there is a vision of America, and a "doctrinal and rhetorical" line of attack against the policies of the New Deal and the Great Society. And yet, that is almost certainly a misreading of the intent of Founders such James Madison, ...more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: A big push for unity at the NEA meeting: A big push for unity at the NEA meeting by Mike Klonsky (F. Klonsky pic) I'm back at it after a nice getaway to blazing hot Lake Geneva (109 degrees). That's Wisconsin, not Switzerland for those who don't know me. Got a chance to spend time in the cool lake waters and to catch up a bit on my reading. Brother Fred is also back from an equally hot D.C. and the NEA Representative Assembly, a great exercise in union democracy -- and we all know how messy that can be. You can read Fred's blog to get a great first ...more »

Zoinks! Louisiana legislator thought state voucher program for religious education meant only for Christian schools | Pam's House Blend: Zoinks! Louisiana Legislator Thought State Voucher Program for Religious Education Meant Only for Christian Schools by Pam Spaulding Today in fundie dumb@ssery, for sure. Louisiana State Rep. Valarie Hodges (R-Watson), like many bible-thumpers who believe your tax dollars should fund their “Christian” indoctrination centers schools, originally supported Governor Bobby Jindal’s voucher program to send students to schools run by religious groups in...more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Missing The Point In Carson's Comment: Missing The Point In Carson's Comment by Anngie Indiana Representative Andre Carson is receiving heat for his comments regarding education in a May 26th speech. The video has been posted on Breitbart's Big Government site and has received the vitriol of the right lashing out against this statement, “America will never tap into educational innovation and ingenuity without looking at the model that we have in our madrassas, in our schools, where innovation is encouraged and where the foundation is the koran.” Popou...more »

Hechinger Report | California school lunches missing the mark for nutrition standards: California school lunches missing the mark for nutrition standards by Eleanor Yang Su Cafeteria worker Sophia Villareal gets student’s names as kids get their at Brockton Elementary School Monday, June 29, 2012 in Los Angeles, Calif. (Photo by Richard Hartog/California Watch) *California Watch* In fall 2008, state regulators began a routine analysis of the school lunches served in Wheatland, a rural community an hour north of Sacramento. Reviewers found typical cafeteria fare – chicken nuggets, h...more »

George Will’s Surprising Take on the Chicago Battle « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] George Will’s Surprising Take on the Chicago Battle by dianerav George Will is confused about who is right and who is wrong in the battle between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Teachers Union. And that’s a good thing, because one would expect this doughty conservative to stand firmly, loudly, and uncompromisingly in opposition to the union. But he didn’t. Granted, he doesn’t know that CTU is part of the American Federation of Teachers, not the Nationa...more »

Twenty Miles: The impact of poverty and language barriers on educational performance - Wait, What?: Twenty Miles: The impact of poverty and language barriers on educational performance by jonpelto A recent story in the Weston-Redding-Easton patch explained that Weston, Connecticut “is the second wealthiest school district in the United States.” The story is a reminder that just a few months ago, one of the corporate organizations supporting Governor Malloy’s “education reform” package claimed that poverty was not a factor in school performance. Instead of recognizing the impact pov...more »

Big money aids Washington state charter bid - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Big money aids Washington state charter bid by Valerie Strauss Three times the voters of Washington state have rejected charter schools — in 1996, 2000 and 2004 — but a new bid to win approval has big money behind it. Today is the deadline to turn in petitions to get a charter initiative on the November ballot, and the people behind the effort have had plenty of money to use — donated to the cause by, among others, Microsoft’s Bill Gates. Read full article >> Why the Gates Foundation is so puzzl...more »

No Child Left Behind Waivers Granted To More Than Half Of U.S. States: No Child Left Behind Waivers Granted To More Than Half Of U.S. States by Joy Resmovits The states of Washington and Wisconsin will be allowed to wiggle out of No Child Left Behind's rigorous test requirements, joining two dozen other U.S. states that have already agreed to waivers that require them to adopt the Obama administration's education agenda instead, the U.S. Education Department will announce today. The new waivers mean more than half the states have now won exemptions from the 2002 law, a signature i...more »

http://www.southbronxschool.com: I Feel A Great Disturbance In The Force by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) I really hope I am not coming across as beating a dead horse. If I am, I apologize, but something is really bothering me. Right now a friend of mine is sitting in the new fangled Rubber Room accused of corporal punishment. Just one allegation. A bullshit allegation. That is all I can share presently. As of now, I can't disclose any more details. Now here is where it might seem as if I am beating the proverbial dead horse. As many readers of my blog know I started out wri...more »

Teachers for Social Justice (TSJ-Chicago)—a member of CODE (Communities Organized for Democracy in Education)—put together this radio commercial in response to misinformation being spread by some big money astroturf groups. CODE is a coalition of over a dozen parent, teacher and community groups that seeks to bring an ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE School Board to Chicago. Chicago is the only school in the state of IL which by law cannot elect its own school board. The board is currently made up of appointed elite millionaire bankers and financiers who have not been responsive to the need...more »

Children are more than test scores: Save Our Schools Still Marching to DC: Save Our Schools Still Marching to DC NEA yesterday voted against supporting SOS's People's Education Convention. It appears some Florida delegates took to the floor claiming that SOS is a Michelle Rhee backed group. This is complete fabrication. Fred Klonsky a Chicago teacher, well known blogger, and bother to Mike Klonsky a member of the SOS National Steering Committee reported back via his blog: "Q: What happened with the NBI supporting the SOS conference in Washington that is planned for August? A: It...more »

Honor Code - NYTimes.com: Honor CodeBy DAVID BROOKSPublished: July 5, 2012 CommentHenry V is one of Shakespeare’s most appealing characters. He was rambunctious when young and courageous when older. But suppose Henry went to an American school. By about the third week of nursery school, Henry’s teacher would be sending notes home saying that Henry “had another hard day today.” He was disruptive during circle time. By midyear, there’d be sly little hints dropped that maybe Henry’s parents should think about medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Many of the other b...more »

Heroes Made, Not Exactly Born [on Frank Ocean & Malcolm X] | The Jose Vilson: Heroes Made, Not Exactly Born [on Frank Ocean & Malcolm X] by Jose First, let me say how ecstatic I was to see that, out of the thousands of friends and acquaintances I’ve gotten to know via social media and other platforms, I heard absolutely no one insult Frank Ocean (R&B singer affiliated with Odd Future, known for “No Church In The Wild”) for coming out as a bisexual. His letter describes love and humanity in the poetry you’d expect from a crooner like him. More surprising was the deluge of messages ...more »

Schools Matter: Criminals In Charge of Education in New Jersey: Criminals In Charge of Education in New Jersey by Judy Rabin * * *Civilizations in the final stages of decay are dominated by elites out of touch with reality.* * *Chris Hedges* * Liars in NJ: The corporate fascists will go to any extreme to make the numbers match their ideological agenda to destroy any remants of democratic public education so that their friends can suck every last dime and swoop down like...more »

Protesters take rally to superintendent’s front lawn - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Protesters take rally to superintendent’s front lawn Thursday, July 5th, 2012 at 10:34 am in 1 Comment *photo by Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group* Oakland Superintendent Tony Smith and his family weren’t home on Tuesday evening when the anti-school closure rally at Lakeview Elementary moved to his house. They didn’t hear chanting demonstrators demanding that he reopen the closed elementary schools or quit his job, though they might have seen a sign left on his front porc...more »

Pass / Fail : LAUSD to fight judge's order on sharing classroom space with charters | 89.3 KPCC: LAUSD to fight judge's order on sharing classroom space with charters by By Tami Abdollah [image: Students bus Loyola Village Elementary School] *Students leaving school on a bus. Credit: Tami Abdollah / KPCC* L.A. Unified has vowed to fight a judge’s order to comply with a state law that requires districts to share space equally among public school students, including those in charters, saying that it would bring “catastrophic” results, lopsided class sizes, and may force busing of stud...more »